Erdogan Offers to Aid Azerbaijan After Skirmishes With Armenia
Turkey pledged to support Azerbaijan after fighting with Armenia led to military and civilian casualties.
(Bloomberg) --
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged to support Azerbaijan after fighting with Armenia led to military and civilian casualties.
“Armenia is continuously targeting Azerbaijan’s civilian areas. We will certainly not leave brother Azerbaijan alone,” Erdogan said in a press conference after Friday prayers in Istanbul. “Armenia is an invader.”
Azerbaijan has confirmed 12 soldiers and a civilian have died since Sunday in the most serious escalation between the two countries since fighting in April 2016 killed hundreds on both sides. Armenia has reported four fatalities among its servicemen.
Turkey will upgrade Azerbaijan’s military equipment and supply new systems, Turkish Defense Industries Chairman Ismail Demir said earlier Friday in a Twitter post. Ankara is ready to help Azerbaijan with drones, missiles and electronic warfare devices, he said.
Turkey has provided military support to Azerbaijan since its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority Armenian-populated region of Azerbaijan, three decades ago as the Soviet Union collapsed. Armenians took control of the mountainous region, which is still internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, along with seven adjacent districts, before Russia brokered a cease-fire in 1994. No peace deal has been signed despite mediation by the U.S., Russia and France.
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